It could be because they are choosing a career over parenthood, experts say.

The number of terminations in the area increased by more than 350 to 9,000 last year.

According to new Department of Health figures, the number for under 18s dropped by 23 to 981, in line with national trends.

But there was a rise in abortions among the 20-30 age group, where the rate increased by 358 from 4,155 to 4,513.

A spokesman for the Family Planning Association said: "Women are looking at their situation and they have choices. This age group maybe have a lot of options open to them. They are making choices that are right for them and a pregnancy at a time when they can go travelling or are starting off their career may not be right for them."

A spokesman for Marie Stopes International, a leading abortion provider outside the NHS with a clinic in Manchester, said: "It may be because these women are not in a stable relationship.

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"They may also be forging a career and in that situation it's not the right time to be seeing a pregnancy through and bringing a child up."

The Department of Health expressed disappointment that the abortion rate overall was rising, but said it was encouraging that cases were falling among the under-18 and under-16 age group.

A spokesman said: "There are also more early abortions taking place at under 10 weeks - a key target for primary care trusts across the country."

National figures showed the overall abortion rate stood at 17.8 abortions per 1,000 for women aged 15-44 - up from 17.5 per 1,000 in 2003.

The rate was highest in women aged 18-19 and 20-24, at 31.9 per 1,000. But in those under-16, the rate was reduced to 3.7 compared with 3.9 in 2003.

The Department of Health spokesman said: "We are working hard to reduce the demand for abortions by improving access to contraception."